This third volume of Respighi’s complete orchestral
music features one of his longest compositions, the Sinfonia drammatica,
and a good number of his works for solo instrument and orchestra. For
someone known nowadays almost exclusively for his orchestral works,
particularly the Roman trilogy of symphonic poems, Respighi wrote a
surprising number of concertos, although they are not always so called.
Of the works in this set only one, the Concerto gregoriano, is
a conventional concerto with distinct movements. The rest are all in
one movement, albeit - in the case of the Toccata - with two
distinct sections. The titles of these works also show Respighi’s
continuing interest in early and Baroque music, something that is further
evinced in the Ancient Airs and Dances suites of 1917, 1923 and
1932.

The Concerto gregoriano begins soberly, with a flowering solo line which
reminded me of Vaughan Williams’ The lark ascending; this
association is reinforced by the modal-sounding harmonies. Vadim Brodsky
throws himself enthusiastically into the solo part, the more extravert
passages being played with plenty of brio, while the quieter passages
are tenderly phrased. As with several other works in this set, the music
occasionally has a rather movie score character, notably in the finale,
marked Alleluja. Respighi was a good violinist, and his writing
for the instrument is always effective. Brodsky is quite forward in
the balance, but his tone is attractive, and his intonation quite reliable
after a few slips in the first movement. The timings are faster than
Lydia Mordkovich’s recording by about a minute in each of the
last two movements.

As the Toccata’s title suggests, this is one of Respighi’s
neo-classical works. It has a full-blooded beginning rather reminiscent
of Stokowski’s Bach arrangements. Respighi’s homage to the
Baroque, however, lacks the rhythmic drive found in Stravinsky’s
neo-classical scores, and I found the whole thing a bit long for its
material. Part of the problem is in the piano writing, which is less
assured than that in the Concerto gregoriano. Chiara Bertoglio
plays the solo part effectively.

The Andante con variazioni for cello and orchestra is a reworking
of the second movement of an early cello concerto. It has a mostly autumnal
mood, rather like Geoffrey Burgon’s score for Brideshead Revisited.
Andrea Noferini has warm, full tone, particularly on the lower strings,
and fine legato phrasing. He is even further forward in the balance
than was Brodsky; his intonation is not always spot on, but improves
as the performance progresses. This is an enjoyable if rather un-memorable
work, again written with a good understanding of the instrument.

The Sinfonia drammatica for me failed to live up to its name.
The liner-notes comment, with a tone of surprise, that it has failed
to become part of the symphonic repertoire. Anyone who hears it, however,
will instantly grasp the reason for its neglect. It is a bore. “Mahler
2 goes to the movies” would be an appropriate subtitle for this
too-lengthy work. Unfortunately the material is thin and undistinguished,
completely lacking the intensity and originality of the Resurrection
symphony. Respighi’s genius for orchestration is evident, as are
echoes of Richard Strauss and movie scores. But this is not enough to
sustain one’s attention for over an hour.

The Fantasia slava is an early, one-movement work in the Rachmaninovian
style. This work also has more manner than matter, but is quite entertaining
and is very well played by Desirée Scuccuglia. All the soloists
are skilfully accompanied by Francesco La Vecchia, who conducts with
energy and conviction throughout. The Rome orchestra responds enthusiastically,
and the orchestral sound has plenty of colour and presence, with nice
grip from the brass at the tuttis.

A must for Respighi fans, and anyone wanting to explore this currently
neglected composer.